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Patient Instructions - Breast MRI

A Breast MRI uses powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the breast. The MRI system is able to obtain views of the breast in any orientation or plane to create extremely detailed images of the breast.

Breast MRI is a very useful breast cancer diagnosis tool. MRI can be used to gain more information about breast abnormalities detected with mammography, ultrasound or other imaging modalities.

Before your procedure

You will be asked to remove any metal from your body. Please make sure to inform your physician and technologist if you have a pacemaker, aneurysm clips or other metal objects.

Most Breast MRI requires an intravenous contrast injection. The technologist will place an IV in your arm prior to your scan.

Women who are breast feeding will need to discard milk for 48 hours after the exam.

During your procedure

You will be asked to lie on your stomach on the scanning table, which will move to the center of the magnet during the test.

Your breasts are suspended in a special coil designed for Breast MRI. A benefit of MRI is that it can easily acquire direct views of the breast in almost any orientation while mammography requires reorientation of the breast and mammography re-imaging for each view desired.

An MRI exam of the breast typically takes between 30 and 60 minutes.

After your procedure

Your doctor will be contacted with the results of your test and will discuss the results with you.

Providing safe, quality patient care is our highest priority. To help ensure quality and safety, we ask that you do not bring young children with you to your appointments, as children are not allowed to accompany you during Imaging procedures. Staff is unable to monitor your child in your absence.